


Five Times Jane Foster Bends Reality

by AnnieMar



Series: Darcyverse [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Parallel Universes, Past Lives, literal alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23999827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieMar/pseuds/AnnieMar
Summary: After returning from being snapped, Jane begins to manifest some strange abilities tied to her experience with the reality stone. Darcy of course, tries to support her best friend and ends up in a different world, right when things start to get good with Bucky. #wintershock
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis
Series: Darcyverse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730857
Comments: 11
Kudos: 83
Collections: Darcyverse May the Fourth Be With You





	Five Times Jane Foster Bends Reality

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amidtheflowers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amidtheflowers/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amazing and inspiring moodboard by [ibelieveinturtles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibelieveinturtles/pseuds/ibelieveinturtles) who also made our awesome "May the 4th" graphics for our event. Make sure to check out her work. 
> 
> This one is for flowers ;-)

...

The first time it happens, Darcy is glad that Wanda is there. 

...

Everyone had been different after the blip, they were all dealing in their own way, but for Jane, it was amplified. One could say that she'd always been a bit high strung, but these days she was quick to anger and outbursts. Strange things started to happen that couldn't be explained away. Electrical outages. Computers exploding. Fried appliances. Certain Spider-Men being knocked across the room by invisible hands. 

Working with what was left of the Avengers again was supposed to be familiar and grounding, throwing themselves back into their work. They were able to fulfill the call that many people felt at the time, to be of service to their country, and more than that, their entire planet. The human race. 

The leftovers weren't so leftover anymore, and the recently returned were having trouble squeezing their way back in a society that sometimes never seemed to fit right, to begin with. Jane and Darcy were lucky, they had a place and a purpose, but they both felt adrift like the dust they were so effortlessly snapped into, floating along with the breeze, on an otherwise beautiful day. 

For Darcy, the feeling that she was a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit, manifested as sadness that had never gripped her in the past. A loss of focus. For Jane, it was rage. When the cold hand of depression started to crawl up Darcy's neck, she turned to the art of baking, an old solace. When it happened for Jane, their ever-dwindling supply of coffee mugs ended up smashed against a wall. 

In the past, Darcy would have snarked about broken ceramic pieces on the floor and shouting "another!" but these days, she just rose from her desk and went to the Avengers facility kitchen to figure out something to concoct with the contents of the cupboards. 

Various people would come in to keep her company, or to just steal a treat or two. She pretty much liked everyone who stopped in but preferred the one who'd automatically go to the fridge for a Mexican Coke, twist the cap off like a pro, and drink it. At the same time, he watched her, as if she were the only one in the world who knew how to put flour, butter, and sugar together to make a cake. His flesh fingers always dipping into the frosting first before taking a full bite. She liked to pretend that she was outraged by it. 

There were other times she loved, like when Jane had had a breakthrough, and things were right with her again, and the girls would pull up chairs for a feast. She liked to have cheesecake always on hand so they could feel somewhat normal for an hour out of the day. They could pretend they were Golden Girls. All they needed were each other, a kitchen table, and a dessert with the highest possible fat content. 

During that first time it happened, they were ranking the Avengers suits, trying to determine who had the best. 

"Steve's was obviously the worst," Darcy announced, her fork picking up the last of a very flaky and tender crust. 

"I liked Steve's!" Wanda exclaimed, playfully offended for him. 

"It was too spangly. He looked like a 4th of July decoration." 

"I like Sam's," Jane said. "Nothing terribly flashy, yet functional. And we all know which one you like, Darcy." 

Darcy set down her fork in mock-outrage. "What? Can it even be said that Bucky _has_ a suit?" 

Wanda shrugged. "That's fair. He seems to just prefer a black tac-suit." 

Darcy nodded. "In which case, yes, I think that's the best. It's subtle. And not nearly as noticeable as, say, Rhodey's huge iron monstrosity."

"He can't really help that," Jane said. "He's the Iron Patriot, he's a War Machine." 

"Rhodey looks best in his military uniform, with the hat and everything. All the medals. He looks sharp as hell." 

"Mmhmm," Wanda agreed while chewing a piece of cheesecake. "I also love a good Navy uniform. Something about all the white. The bell-bottoms." 

Darcy pointed her fork in her direction. "Yes! A Navy uniform. Nothing better." 

Jane shook her head. "There's nothing like a pilot. Tom Cruise in Top Gun? Maverick was my first crush." She closed her eyes, savoring her dessert, and obviously thinking of cinematic pilots in jumpsuits and aviator shades. She was in that moment more "Jane" than she'd been in awhile, which should have been Darcy's first clue that shit was about to hit the fan. 

Darcy and Wanda both dropped their forks as a deep blue misty light began to swirl around the room, and Tom fucking Cruise walked into the kitchen. 

Jane opened her eyes at the sound of fallen flatware and gasped. 

Wanda put her hand on Jane's arm and red mixed with blue. "Calm." She then put her fingers up to Tom's twenty-something Maverick face, and he faded away. "He's just an illusion." 

Both Wanda and Darcy noticed that Jane's eyes were as blue as Wanda's became red, but they didn't want to mention it and freak her out. 

"Jane," Darcy whispered. "Can you do that again?" 

Her best friend blinked, obviously scared, as who wouldn't be if they'd just manifested Mr. Scientology out of thin air. "Wh-what?" 

"Can you conjure another pilot? How about … Chris Pine? Captain Kirk was a pilot, I guess? I'm sorry, I don't really know pilots." 

"I - I don't really like Chris Pine." 

"Okay, well, try another one." 

Jane nodded and closed her eyes. Darcy and Wanda exchanged glances as pieces of the Jane puzzle were starting to fall in place. There had obviously been something going on with her since they all returned, and perhaps Wanda had sensed it first, as they were alike. They had both been infused with energy from an infinity stone … but Jane had never presented any powers. At least not until recently. 

She took a deep breath and seemed to concentrate while her facial features relaxed. 

A tall handsome man in black walked into the room amidst another swirl of blue light, a guy Darcy didn't recognize. What stood out to her was a pair of brilliant blue eyes with a large vertical scar bisecting one of them. 

Jane opened her eyes along with her mouth, but no sound came out. The man stood next to her, looking down into her face as if she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. 

"Damn," Darcy whispered. "Who is that? A … pilot?" 

Jane tilted her head, looking up at him in the same manner, as if he was real and the only one in the room. She reached up to touch a piece of sandy hair that had fallen in his eyes, and as soon as she made contact, he faded away. 

Jane looked as if someone had just torn her heart out. "I … I don't know. I've never met him." 

…

Later that night, Darcy slipped into Jane's room. She was curled up on her couch under a flannel blanket. The TV was turned off. 

Darcy sank to the floor with her back against the couch. "You wanna talk about it?" 

"Do you remember anything? From when we … disappeared?" Jane's voice was small, very unlike her. 

It wasn't exactly something that Darcy liked to talk about, but she wasn't about to hold back in this situation. "Sometimes, I have memories, but then I think they must have been dreams. Like when you're doing something repetitive, and all of a sudden, you can remember things in tiny details that you haven't thought about in ages. Or I get Deja Vu. I don't know. I don't know what's real and what isn't." 

"I do." 

"What do you mean?" 

"I see reality differently now since we came back. I don't want to." 

Darcy reached up to rub her knee. "Have you talked to Thor?" 

"He's off-world." 

"Would you talk to him if he were here?" 

"Probably not." 

"Yeah, the uh … the braided-beard thing would be a little distracting." 

Jane gave a laugh despite herself. "Honestly, Darcy, I … don't really know Thor that well." 

"What? Of course, you do." 

"We spent a few weekends together." 

"It was a little more than that." 

"Was it?" 

"I always thought so." 

"Well, that's the thing about perception … we all have a different one." 

Darcy peered at her. "Who was the guy in the kitchen? Do you know him?" 

"That I don't know." 

They were both quiet for several minutes until Darcy started looking for the remote control. 

"Let's find something to watch …" 

"I could see him … when we were gone." 

"Phantom pilot-man?" 

"Yeah. He'd always be standing on a grand balcony with his hands clasped behind his back, with the morning sun on his face, but I could never see the front of him, until today. I used to think it was in Asgard, but now I'm not so sure … it seemed like Asgard." 

"Is this something from the past? The future?" 

"No … I think it's more side-ways." 

"Hn. Does this have something to do with the parallel universe theory you're working on?" 

"I didn't mean for it to be." 

Darcy gave a sigh. Her friend seemed numb, lost. "I think you should talk to Wanda and Carol, I think they can help you. I'm sorry, Jane, I feel like I can't help you." 

'You do. You're the one who sees things before everyone else does. You accept them for what they are." 

Darcy frowned, if Jane was going to start talking about reality the way she was, she was going to have to start carrying Advil around with her for the headaches. Or maybe whiskey. 

"I wish …" Jane started to say. 

"Me too," Darcy answered, reading her mind. Not from any superpower from an infinity stone, but because they were in sync from years of working side by side, years of trauma, years of friendship. Jane didn't even need to finish the words. 

_I wish Tony were here._

… 

The second time it happens, Peter Parker is in the lab with them again. He's the only one Jane can find with the right energy signature. There were other Peter Parkers, or those with his fate, in different universes. They'd been close, they'd all shown up in the same one somehow, while their Peter had been gone. Jane believed that if he'd been there, he would have met them too. 

He'd been hanging out with them often, as Jane and Darcy compiled data. At first, he seemed a little afraid of them, a bit taken aback by Jane's constant onslaught of questions, but eventually he relaxed, he realized it was just her way. That day, however, he stepped on the wrong hornet's nest. 

She was still upset about Phantom Pilot-Man. 

She had Peter in her "quantum field generator," something inspired by her short trip to Asgard years ago. 

"Asgardians called it a 'soul forge,' it's not, it's a quantum field generator," Jane scoffed, recalling her time when Odin-the-great-and-powerful had compared her to a goat. Darcy could tell that she was getting more and more agitated as the day went on. 

At some point, Darcy was innocently looking up Korean milk bread recipes when Jane snapped at her. She asked if she was ever going to be the computer genius Jane needed or if she was just going to open up a doughnut shop already. 

Jane stood up from her desk, and her knee did the cracking thing it did, the result of an old ski injury. Peter made the mistake of laughing and calling her "granny." 

Peter then found himself knocked out of the quantum field generator and flying into a nearby wall. Darcy's laptop exploded. All the appliances in the kitchen were fried, and the lights went out in the facility for three days. All in the haze of Jane's new blue light. 

…

The third time it happened, they were in a controlled environment, supervised by Carol Danvers and Wanda Maximoff. Also, Bucky Barnes, as he made it clear that if Darcy was going to be there, so would he. She only acted slightly put-off by it, but on the inside, he made her all melty. 

He stood next to her with his arms crossed, wearing his standard black clothing, watching the scene outside. Very much away from any electric lines. 

"I've got a bad feeling about this," he said. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to check out the other works in our Darcyverse Star Wars collection. We had a lot of fun with it. 
> 
> The rating will probably go up, just a slight warning.


End file.
